Ordinance makes parking easier for those with disabilities

Parking in downtown Beaumont can be a trying experience during popular events that draw big crowds, but for people with disabilities, that frustration is doubled. The city of Beaumont has some measures in place to reduce the levels of anxiety for its residents and visitors with disabilities.

Earlier this summer, the city specifically addressed handicapped parking in downtown Beaumont, public works director Patrick Donart said.

“In downtown specifically, we passed an ordinance that deals with persons with disabilities and their ability to park downtown,” Donart said. “The owner is exempt from the payment of a fee or penalty for parking in a parking garage. If you’re at the Julie Rogers, you’ll see that there’s a two-hour maximum time, but you could park there, provided you have special license plates that designate it as a disabled vehicle, or the placard. We would actually not give you a ticket for parking in those two-hour parking spaces.”

Handicapped ordinances in Beaumont vary depending on the facility in question, Donart said. All are required to comply with the American Disability Act, with the possible exception of some older buildings “grandfathered” in.

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